All About Lawyer Fees and Costs
We have witnessed a significant improvement in the number of lawyers that have come up in the recent past. These lawyers will help you to handle various legal issues. There is however a need for you to be familiarized with the average fee you will pay for their services. It is necessary to mention that attorneys rely on distinct ways to bill their clients. This usually depends on the service offered and the type of attorney. A few of the most common forms used will time and again comprise the following.
The flat fee has become quite common among so many lawyers. Always remember that there are so many attorneys that seldom go to court. You will witness that these attorneys put in so much time in consulting with some of their clients, drafting important documents and even filing different paperwork. These lawyers will often find it valuable to stick to the flat fee in this case. This is to say that both the lawyer and his client will have agreed on a given price right from the start. It is through this that you will be cushioned against being caught by surprise some time later on.
You will also witness that the hourly rate can be taken into account. There are various factors that will influence the rate arrived at. This will more than often include how experienced the attorney is, the simplicity of the case at hand and even location. There will also be a concept known as a billable hour. This means that the lawyer will charge for time spent researching, drafting arguments and meeting clients too. We have a number of administrative duties that will be taken care of by different professionals. This will be billed differently.
Then comes the retainer as well. This will come in handy in case the client requires comprehensive as well as frequent legal representation. This will ensure that the lawyer is available to handle whatever is necessary. This retainer is used as a lump sum upfront payment to retain the services of the given attorney. It will be upon the attorney to keep on reducing his hourly expenses from the amount paid in this case. Retainers are usually embraced in the event that this will be an extended professional relationship between the two.
It is also possible for the rate to be on a contingency basis. It is mostly used in personal injury cases. This means that the lawyer does not ask for any upfront payment. This attorney will only be paid a percentage of damages once the case has been won. These lawyers are usually very selective in the cases that they take in.